The Behrend beacon. (Erie, Pa.) 1998-current, March 28, 2003, Image 3
behrcolls@aol.com st • on of the week by Jen Henderson, assistant news editor "The war is a little more important • than basketball at this point. We • need to support our troops and our • • country! U.S.A. Come on and • raise up! Show your support!" • Eddie Kremer Poly Sci, 02 Madigan describes life experiences by Courtney Straub health page editor On Thursday at Soup for the Soul, Maria Madigan related her life to the movie "Sliding Doors." Madigan has been at Behrend for eight years. She spent her first three and a half years as a student and now she is the coordinator for Greek Life and Student Leaders. Looking back on her life, Madigan believes that there have been many sliding doors, meaning that one door you enter can decide the rest of your life. Things don't happen in life just because God wants them to, she said. Everyone makes their own decisions and God is there to help guide them through these decisions. "I think He's a part of your life every time you make a decision," said Madigan. Madigan was brought up Roman Catholic in a small town. The priest at her church had given most of her family their sacraments and they all felt comfortable in their religious community. Then her priest was transferred and one of the new priest's missions was to close down the small church and help build a bigger church with an adjoining town. Her parents did not attend the new church as often, so Madigan began attending a Methodist church with her grandparents. "It was similar in feeling that you still got everything you wanted out of the service," said Madigan. Then the Methodist church asked her to become an adult member and Madigan's parents realized they needed to start taking her to the Catholic Church. This was a ^iaior sliding door in her life. Senior Salute Days by Christine Kleck advertising manager After four years of hearing, "Where is our Lion statue?" the Behrend graduating classes of 2003 decided to answer that question by creating one. The graduating members of the Senior Class Gift Committee for 2003 have spent their final days at Behrend planning for the Behrend Lion statue. With final projects, ceremonies and celebrations right around the corner, the members of the spring graduating class of 2003 are taking every opportunity to savor the last moments of their college experiences at Behrend. While some have a countdown going, others can't help but look back. Some will shed tears of joy and relief; others will shed tears of sadness. It's that time of year graduation is almost here. Spring Break is usually the beginning of the end for graduating seniors' final days at Behrend as most students can be heard saying "Its all downhill from here." With all of this in mind, Senior Salute Days will be held in the Reed Wintergarden on Monday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Tuesday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The two-day celebration is a time for the Behrend community to commemorate the spring graduating class of 2003 as its members begin to say their goodbyes. Graduating seniors will have a chance to pick up their tickets for commencement, order their graduation announcements, purchase their cap and gown, order their class ring and even make a pledge to their Senior Class Gift, the Behrend Lion statue. The hard-working senior class gift f'r ..,,,, $ $ "The war. Elizabeth Atarri Nursing, 02 "I had just assumed that it was all the same," said Madigan. The next sliding door in her life was deciding what college she wanted to go to. In high school, Madigan played five varsity sports and decided to downsize when she went to college and play only three. "Sports were my whole life," said Madigan. She went to a recruiting camp and did very well, but then she never heard from any colleges. When she visited Behrend, she fell in love with the school and its basketball program. During her first volleyball game at Behrend, she pulled all the ligaments in her leg and decided that it would be best to only devote her strength to basketball. Later she found out that the computers at the recruitment camp she had gone to had all crashed. This was another sliding door because what would have happened if she had gone to a different college? "The different sliding doors in your life really hit you," said Madigan. Since her first experience at the Methodist church, Madigan has also attended a Baptist Church service which was a real eye opener for her. Also, one of her best friends is Muslim, so she has also had the chance to learn about his culture. The sliding doors in Madigan's life have helped her to become the person she is. To her, the doors have been rewarding because when she looks back on the choices she has made she is happy with them. "1 never see her without a smile. She's somebody who gives evidence of loving life," said Sr. Mary Drexler, coordinator for Catholic Campus Ministry. committee will be on hand during Senior Salute Days to answer questions about the lion statue and to accept pledge cards. There will also be some great giveaways at the table. The Behrend Lion, which will be located near the Junker Center, will become a permanent reminder of the class of 2003. It will serve as a symbol of the pride of Penn State University for everyone living in the northwestern Pennsylvania region. Graduating seniors are currently being asked to consider making a pledge to the 2003 Senior Class Gift in support of the Behrend Lion statue. Ip the past, a donation of the students' general deposit has been an easy and painless way for graduating seniors to give back to their alma mater. All students create a general deposit at their time of admission to Penn State. The CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Senior Class Gift committee members discuss the placement of the Behrend Lion statue. NEWS Friday, March 28, 2003 i',;:).t.„4: 1.: 1 ;1',.i..:ii :,0 i 1'ii''§4:;,..,.)1 "I wish America would start a war every March just to interrupt March Madness." Grant Yocitim Telecommunication, 04 Lutz shares unique fiction with campus by Erin McCarty news editor On Thursday, about 50 students and faculty gathered in the Reed Lecture Hall for a reading by writer Gary Lutz. Lutz, who has been published in "The Quarterly," "Conjunctions," "Story Quarterly," Cimarron Review," and "The Random House Treasury of Light Verse," has been praised for his unique manner of writing. His first book, "Stories in the Worst Way," was recently reissued by 3° bed press. "His is definitely an original voice," said English professor George Looney in his introductory remarks, commending Lutz's "sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreakingly beautiful sentences." Looney found a quote from the sixth section of Wallace Stevens' "Notes Toward a Supreme Fiction" to be particularly appropriate to Lutz's writing. "'lt must be visible or invisible, — he quoted. — lnvisible or visible or both: A seeing and unseeing in the eye. — Looney went on to say that Lutz's stories have a way of opening the readers' eyes to things they wouldn't normally see while blinding them to the ordinary. His writing, Looney remarked, "moves us ever closer toward the idea of a supreme fiction." Lutz read three fairly long pieces: "People Shouldn't Have to Be the Ones to Tell You;" "Waking Hours;" and "Carriers." "People" was presented in a mosaic style, separated into 14 sections. Rich in detail, it delved into the lives of a father and his two daughters, focusing approach general deposit is reserved by Penn State as a "financial safety net" until students graduate. Seniors can pledge their general deposit or make an outright contribution to the Senior Class Gift. Pledge cards to "leave your mark" on the college are currently being distributed to the seniors. The 2003 Senior Class Gift Committee encourages seniors to attend the Senior Salute Days and to make a difference at Behrend by supporting the Behrend Lion Statue. The class of 2003 is at the threshold of some great and overwhelming changes, as it will move on in this world in only a few short weeks. The beginning of the end is here. Help celebrate and remember your days at Behrend by visiting Senior Salute Days, March 31 and April 1. "1 watch the war coverage more. I think the safety ofour country and other nations is more important." Joe Nason Pre-Pharrn, 02 particularly on the introspection of the "Waking Hours" was narrated by a man whose life included learning "how to bestow awards on undeserving employees," spending the day with his young son every week, and coming to the realization that he is gay. "Carriers" was narrated by a woman and described the frustrations she felt in her marriage to a man who began showing signs of having homosexual affairs after the death of their son. All three stories forced those listenin PHOTO BY ROB WYNNE / BEHREND BEA Prose writer Gary Lutz reads from his fiction on Thursday. Calling all future Quentin Tarantinos and Kevin Smiths by Ryan Russell staff writer Ever hear of Quentin Tarantino? Maybe "Pulp Fiction" rings a bell. Ever hear of Kevin Smith? Maybe "Clerks" or "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" jog the memory. These two filmmakers both got their start as small, independent directors, and went on to bigger and better things in Hollywood. And soon, the chance to see the next Kevin Smith, Tarantino, or even the next Spielberg, is coming to Penn State Behrend. Students and fans of independent films unite, because the Independent Film Extravaganza is arriving at Penn State's Reed Building on April 16. Students are encouraged to submit their own films, which can range in length from five minutes to any reasonable length. With that said, almost anything goes. If you feel the need to parody some of the scenes from "Pulp Fiction," "Memento," or even "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," creativity is encouraged, and requested. There is no subject matter that is considered off limits and no tale too gruesome or comedic to be shown. This is one of the few times that an event is occurring on the Behrend campus where the students are the center of attention, so why not take a chance? Make a five, 10, or 20 minute film to show. Think of the feedback you can get, both from the audience members and from the other directors The Behrend Beacon "Both." John Markley Computer Engineering,oB to pay close attention, as each sentence was in itself a work of art. "I compose less like fiction writers and more like poets," said Lutz in a brief question and answer period following the reading. "I can't go on to the next line until the first line is perfect. I try to offer something in every single sentence; that makes the stories kind of dense." The final speaker in this year's Creative Writing Speaker series is prose writer Amy Hempel, who will read her work in the Reed Lecture Hall on April 17 at 7 p.m. in attendance. That alone should merit making a short film and putting all of your friends in it. If nothing else, it's a night of laughing at you and some of your friends on film. But what are all your friends going to do? Here are some ideas that you can base a short film on: Idea One: Rhode Island is neither a road, nor an island. Discuss. Idea Two: What if every swear word in a "Die Hard" movie was replace by the words "smurf' or "Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man?" That idea could be comic gold. Idea Three: Make fun of the "Million Dollar Staircase." Just because everyone else does. Idea Four: Ever hear about the rivalry between communications and engineering majors? Sounds like a dramatic re enactment of "West Side Story" waiting to happen. Those are ideas. If you have another that is even better than those given, by all means, make the movie and be sure to submit it. And speaking of free, if you attend the extravaganza on April 16, not only is admission free, but free popcorn and refreshments will be provided. The deadline to submit a film is April 7, however. If you have an old Alcohol Awareness video, or a video project you did for a class lying around, and you want to show it to the public, then email Mathew Bocian at mbbl46@psu.edu, and let him know that you are the next Steven Spielberg or Woody Allen. Page 3